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Rob Guttenberg /robjob2@verizon.net

In 1985 (?), I was contacted by Jim Dickson of the National Organization on Disability to perform at a protest rally against the FDR Memorial Commissions' decision to omit images of FDR in his wheelchair, I composed the song, 'FDR in a Wheelchair' that assisted with getting the momentum to encourage the U.S. Congress to come up with funding for a second statue that now displays FDR in his White House wheelchair. Music, disability and politics came together for good!

I would like to invite others to visit: you-tube: 'Living Every Day' to view my video on disability awareness.

In addition, please share your ideas and comments for the following: resources that assist people with disabilities in overcoming barriers and challenges and provide career preparation and opportunities in the arts field, effective tools or resources for networking and job searching, and resources for educators to supplement their existing curricula in arts education programs to include disability arts representation and narratives.

Within your particular artistic discipline, please share your ideas for what resources or programs assist in addressing discipline-specific barriers or challenges, and what progress has been made in regards to artists, and/or cultural workers with disabilities. Are there resources in your specific artistic community that address the current discourse around disability? What organizations, opportunities, venues/spaces, and individuals working on disability issues within your specific artistic field should we know about? Please share resources that offer strategies for arts organizations and disability organizations to more effectively work together to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities in the arts.

Please share your ideas for resources or strategies for the following:

Guidance in considering and addressing disability/identity disclosure while working in the arts.

Assistance for employers, employees, and arts venue staff in a workspace/art space with access and inclusion.

Support or mentorship for disabled artists and cultural workers from additionally marginalized communities including communities of color, those for whom English is a second language, and those who are LGBTQ trans*.

Dialogue 1

What are some of the strategies used by people with disabilities seeking employment or self-employment in the arts? What are the barriers and challenges, and what ideas do you have for how the arts field can help provide career preparation and opportunity? These ideas can include your experiences with accommodations and accessibility, as well as how people with disabilities can work in the arts and have access to healthcare and other benefits.

When you are ready to share your ideas click the Submit New Idea Button on the right to join the conversation!

What ideas do you have for the arts field (arts organizations, arts service organizations, arts agencies, and arts funders) and the arts education field (schools, community arts education, conservatories, and universities) to ensure full inclusion for youth and adults seeking training in the arts field?

When you are ready to share your ideas click the Submit New Idea Button on the right to join the conversation!

What ideas do you have concerning disability disclosure while working in the arts? Has it helped or hindered your work? How can representation of disability and authenticity affect the employment outcomes for people with disabilities in the arts?

When you are ready to share your ideas click the Submit New Idea Button on the right to join the conversation!

What ideas do you have within your particular art form or your particular disability community? For example, what new opportunities have emerged for Deaf theater artists, for physically-integrated dance, or for filmmakers with disabilities, and how did they come about? What ideas do you have for how arts and disability organizations can work better together to increase opportunities?

When you are ready to share your ideas click the Submit New Idea Button on the right to join the conversation!